LeSalle Kira
LeSalle Kira|吉良 LeSalle is the Captain of the 8th Division in the Gotei 13. His lieutenant is Sakura Ryuunami. Appearance LeSalle Kira is a tall Shinigami with grey eyes and wavy black hair. Large waves of hair are left hanging down the sides of his head, sometimes in his face though usually brushed aside, leaving the ends of it to stand curl out wherever it does, away from his face. His hair is thick, untamed, and jet black, sometimes tied back together to keep from getting in his way in combat. His face is surprisingly soft edged with a firm jaw line that probably has seen combat a few times. A stoic expression often resides within his stormy grey eyes unless he is in the midst of battle. The past scarring along his jaw and on his left cheek seems to have disappeared. His torso is wide, his arms and legs larger than most, completing the 'body of steel' figure of this experienced brawler. Kira wears the traditional black kisode and white hakama-himo of the Shinigami with his chest left bare to the world. Gone are both the mosaic of combat scars across his torso and the wrapping surrounding the torso to hide the scars, leaving his chest looking smooth and hairless. His zanpakuto, marking him as a shinigami, is usually slung over his shoulder in a resting position or at his side tucked into his obi. A longer blade similar to a nodachi suits the tall Shinigami perfectly, any regular sized blade merely looking like a large knife in his hand. He usually grips the weapon in an offensive manner. A loosely tied obi holds his blade, the sheath of his blade merely made of a strong black ribbon-like material attached to the hilt that wraps around his blade when not in use. White tabi socks and wooden waraji complete a fairly common shinigami attire, with a few flares of creativity added in including the sleeves being ripped off and the chest left open for better movement in battle. His haori and obi sash are made from expensive material only affordable by wealthy nobility. Recently Kira has taken up wearing a single shoulderpad on his right shoulder which his weapon rests on. A captain's haori is worn over his kisode, the icon of the 8th division on its back marking him as the Captain of the squad. During visits to the human world he wears a tattoo on his chest of the 8th division to keep his spiritual power from destroying things when using it. Personality Over the years Kira has taken on many different attitudes before finally accepting a Vice Captain position under Kyōraku and maturing. Now he is fairly laid back, reasonable, and easy to approach. In his off time, he can be seen drinking sake in bars and napping. He likes steamed buns that go with sake, but dislikes powdered green tea, heavily influenced by his previous Captain. Other times, he likes to spend time with Sumi Nagao, whom he calls "Sumi-chan". Sumi will often try to keep Kira acting properly in public to no avail. He has teased Sumi ever since they first met, showing that playfulness is also a part of his personality. Kira generally refers to his fellow captains and Shinigami by their first name followed by an honorific. Kira has adopted Kyōraku's peace-loving attitude and will always try to talk an opponent out of a fight, though he doesn't wish to insult opponents by refusing to fight. The slightly eccentric captain also seems to like making an impression on opponents. He also dislikes taking the life of innocent people, often sacrificing his body to a large blow to protect allied or human lives. Though Kira tries to talk his way out of a fight, he does insist on fighting when the situation is grave or innocent lives are at stake. He is also one of the most proficient melee combatants in Soul Society, and maintains a level of honor and integrity when engaging in battle, much like his friend Nara Aurcan. He refuses to fight with children or spar seriously with women. He always maintains a semblance of respect for his opponent and is polite in combat situations and prefers to fight one on one. Even when fighting powerful opponents he tries to never lose his cool, going as far as to make small talk and joke around with his opponents. Losing his cool brings out the 'old side' of Kira, fighting in a berserker style until sated or calmed. He has trained long and hard to keep this side in check. Despite being one of the captains of Soul Society, Kira retains a level of humbleness and isn't overly arrogant about his strength, although when fighting opponents, he does make the occasional comment to dissuade them from continuing. He is able to recognize and encourage the growth of others potential. Kira has shown to have a taste for fighting, possibly from his days wandering Rukungai or in the 11th division, known as the Demon of the 11th. History Kira is the first son of the great noble LeSallé family. Despite being of such old and prestigious lineage, he disliked studying and training, and preferred to chase women, often being told by his father that he needed to start accepting his fate. Because of this, he was sent against his will to the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy (Shinigami Academy). While there, he came to know Kuchiki Nagato, who would become his best friend. He, along with Nagato, graduated the academy within a mere few years at the top of the class. During this time in Kira's life, he began to mature and begin to accept his destiny to inherit the clan from his father. A marriage was planned with a lesser House in order to gain influence within the borders of one of the other Four Houses which proved to be the eventual downfall of the house. Never having met the woman he was to marry nor even given the name by his father, Kira was uprooted from his house before anything could be established officially. He and his little brother, LeSalle Ayanami, became the focus of a plot to bring down the great house of LeSallé as well as a few other smaller Houses. During a Vasto Lorde attack on Seireitei, the plot was put into action. Not much is known of the incident or the parties involved but soon after Kira and Ayanami were left wandering Rukungai alone and void of memories. Thinking the two sons of LeSallé were dead, the great House eventually fell into disaray and lost their official status. Over 100 years later Kira was scouted by a Shinigami in Rukungai where he was becoming an infamous wandering swordsman. He had spent his time in the lesser favourable districts of Rukungai searching for a thrill, usually from sparring with opponents. Sent back to the Academy forcefully by binding the large man, he had changed completely from the noble son of LeSallé to a man that acted more like a beast. Kira was able to pick up the lessons remarkably quickly and excelled at swordsmanship. He was eventually picked up by the 11th division and became known as the Demon of the 11th. Bent on fighting till he dropped, he challenged any ally or opponent to a fight to better himself and seek worthy opponents of his blade to deliver him that final blow to end his life. Making his way up the ranks within a years time, he finally defeated Shimamura Kaido in an official match and challenged the current 3rd seat officer successfully for his position. During this time, Kira had met Nagao Sumi. a noble from a fallen House that had ties to the LeSallé. By chance Sumi happened to mention the great family and the story that was passed down of what happened. At the time both Ayanami and Kira had met and held a general dislike for nobility, making their decision to investigate their forgotten past all the more important. Through a thorough investigation done by Kira and his newly rediscovered brother, Kira gained the proof of his past and set about reestablishing his House. As Kira's memories began to resurface, his personality began to change, getting closer and closer to the man he had forgotten. Noticing this change, Shunsui Kyōraku offered Kira the position of Vice Captain of the newly re-established 8th division. Accepting the position and moving from the 11th division changed Kira in more ways than one would imagine and no one noticed it more than his new friends from his 11th division days. Soon thereafter, with Shunsui's support, Kira was able to gain the support of the 3 remaining great Houses to rebuild the LeSallé House. He is one of the newest captains amongst the Gotei 13, only recently promoted with the support of Kisuraki Rikura and his former captain as well as Captain-commander Yamamoto. Plot Soul Society: The Beginning Freshly out of the academy, Kaibana Kira meets up with various shinigami to test their sparring capabilities. He finds and bonds with Wu-fei Ayanami, Nara Aurcan and Kisaraki Rikura through combat. Eventually his thirst for combat gains him access to the 11th division where he quickly ascends to 10th seat. During this time, Kira is forced into officer training, attending classes like Shikai Fundamentals I and II, Master Poltergeist Melee, and a Senior Officer Learning Seminar (SOLS) lead by the Academy Instructor, Tyris Jaeger. With help from these classes Kira begins to associate himself with his zanpakuto spirit and is eventually able to speak with it. During his time in the 11th, a hot summer day leads Kira to wash his face in the fountain of the Gotei 13. Distasteful bathing comments made by two young women passing by led to the fateful 'dip' in the pool by himself and Nagao Sumi with Ayanami and Tsuto Yumeka (the other woman) chuckling nearby. Though her noble upbringing and his beast-like attitude clashed often, Sumi and Kira formed a strong bond with each other. Kira become protective of Sumi and the others knew that sparring with Sumi would bring the wrath of the Demon of the 11th. Down in the human world, Kira met a shrine princess named Suzume on a case involving strong Hollow activity. He developed a bond with the woman and swore to protect her from any threat made on her life. With time Kira was able to help the shrine princess leave her shrine and experience Karakura Town. Allowing her to stay in a temporary residence within the city, Kira was able to aid in the investigation of the Winged Seal Shrine. Eventually the shrine was destroyed and a powerful ancient Hollow that was sealed below was freed and so Kira helped Suzume move on with her life. The Soul Society arc ended with the outbreak of the White Hollow plague. Seemingly unaffected by the disease, Kira aided in the investigation of the source and eventually uncovered the culprit, Takae Kuchiki. He lost many friends to the disease including Shihouin Seiji, Judah Williams, and Kuroi Yasashii. Confronting Takae with a handful of friends, Kira was able to call forth his zanpakuto's shikai form and drive Takae to the gates of Hell to escape, leaving Soul Society to recover. Eventually it was found out that Central 46 was behind the mess and Kira aided in the 'purge' of the corruption, leaving Soul Society without a governing body. Arrancar Appear Hollow activity had picked up around the time the hollow Viper appeared. Eventually, the first Arrancar appeared in the Human World which intrigued Seireitei. Kira was involved in fighting the new form of Hollow until the 12th division got their clutches into him. Left on the front lines, Kira was 4th seat of the 11th division by this time and one of the first to engage in combat in the Human World when Arrancar sightings were reported. Eventually Kira met Dulcinea and Irasci, self proclaimed King and Queen of Hueco Mundo, the home of the Hollow. The trio engaged in multiple confrontations including a battle in the halls of a human hospital to save it from destruction. With the hole left by the 'departure' of Central 46, the 8th Division was reestablished by the request of Captain-commander Yamamoto, put in charge of Central Intelligence and charged with helping prevent such corruption from happening again. Newly promoted 3rd seat of the 11th division, Kira had achieved a new level of bond with his zanpakuto spirit that began to break away some of the barriers blocking him from the memories of his past. Noticing a change in the behaviour of the 'Demon' of the 11th, the captain of the 8th division offered Kira the esteemed position of his Vice Captain. Kira accepted the honor and moved divisions, cutting the ties of his violent past few years in order to move forward. Current Arc While the rest of Seireitei began to move into Hueco Mundo in an all out confrontation with the Arrancar, Kira stayed back reluctantly and worked on issues closer to home. It was no easy task to attempt to gain the favor of the three remaining Great Houses in order to reestablish his House. After rounding up former loyal members and servants of the House, he had been given a list of tasks he must complete in order to gain favor with each house. Proving his honor as a swordsman to the Kuchiki was the easiest task of the three, though the task in itself was by no means easy. While gaining the favor of the other two houses, Shihouin and Shiba, Kira was forced to 'patch' himself up, healing his battle scars and changing his mannerisms and hairstyle to be more suitable for the head of a Great House. Eventually Kira gained approval and the house LeSallé was reinstated. After the Hueco Mundo incident ended an evil faction known as Doom Wing made an appearance in the world. Kira became very busy with work, gathering information about the new faction and how to fight back against it. Eventually Kira was able to confront a Doom Wing member and test the true offensive capabilities. It was in this fight that Kira was forced to a full release to save the graveyard in Karakura and finish off the Doom Wing member. Word reached the ears of the captains and Kira was summoned before them for a captaincy test after having shown he had achieved Bankai. With recommendations from both Captain Rikura and Kyoraku after a rigorous examination, Kira was promoted to Captain of the 8th division, leaving Kyoraku and Yamamoto to discuss more important things. Currently he resides within the 8th Division barracks and rarely leaves to the Human World unless the need is great. Power & Abilities Kira's Battle Data: : Offense (100), Defense (100), Mobility (60), Kidō/Reiatsu (60), Intelligence (80), Physical Strength (100). Total: 500/600. Master Swordsmanship Specialist: While in battle, his physical power is unrivalled by anyone who came before him. While disliking the concept of having to engage in a fight, Kira is presumably one of the most proficient heavy swordsmen in all of Soul Society. He is a highly adaptable combatant, meaning that he is able to switch hands with a blade without the loss of power or accuracy. Kira usually swings with more strength in his left hand than his right hand; however, he can easily switch or balance the strength between his two hands, much to the surprise of his opponent. Kira states that he only uses his release in situations where his katana is too difficult to use. Kira's fighting style involves attacking an opponent either in the front or back using his strength to overwhelm them. His large Buster sword shikai release moves at a different pace than his katana. He takes advantage of that while fighting. While the enemy is at the mercy of his katana’s speed, his Buster sword merely overpowers a defense for a critical blow. That is the most common method used for a sword like his. Kidō Apprentice: While not his preferred style of combat, Kira has learned many basic Kido abilities. During his battle against strong opponents it is not rare to see him use Bakudo binding spells or Hado long-range abilities. Steel Skin Master: He is masterful in the art of Steel Skin, being able to harden his skin against all forms of attacks. He has developed this technique from the ground up to epic levels. This ability uses his strengths in combat while making up for his weaknesses such as a lack of caring to learn to Flash Step. Master Strategist & Tactician: Despite his laid back attitude, Kira has repeatedly shown himself to be a perceptive and insightful man. According to his teachers, even when he was younger, Kira has always had an eye for seeing the true character of anyone he meets. Kira was able to pierce the illusions of Dulcinea in battle to see the truth behind the lies. He was also one of the few people to suspect that there was more to the White Hollow plague then Kuchiki Takae's role. In battle, Kira has proven to be very adept at noticing and understanding details in an opponent's skills or attack patterns. During his battle against opponents, he quickly determined the basics behind their attacks before coming up with ways around them and capitalizing on any weaknesses. Immense Spiritual Power: As one of the Captains in the Gotei 13, Kira has tremendous spiritual power. He is not often overwhelmed by the Spiritual Pressure of opponents. His true spiritual power is often not seen in the human world as the use of a limiter is placed on all high ranking shinigami. His strength is shown even further as he was able to defeat a high level Arrancar opponent by countering a Gran Rey Cero blast with a spiritual-based attack while under a limiter. Enhanced Strength: Kira has shown that he is very powerful in terms of strength. Often seen using walls as doors to catch up to opponents or breaking down structures with physical attacks, his strength is one of the highest in Soul Society. Enhanced Durability: Kira has the ability to survive seemingly unscathed from devastating attacks after taking on numerous foes. He can take many more hits than a usual opponent before showing signs of fatigue and can often fight through pain that would overwhelm many. Zanpakutō 'Gyuukaku Oushiza | Might of the Great Bull, Taurus'. : His Zanpakutō is unique, existing as a nodachi weapon. The cross guard is rectangular with the corners cut off, decorated by a pattern of intricate lines and sporting a black handle. He keeps it sheathed through his waist tie at his left side; although, during battle, the sword has been shown to rest on his shoulder. Like other Zanpakutō, Gyuukaku Oushiza has a personality of its own. Often times it takes encouragement in the form of blood drawn in battle to draw out its full power. *'Shikai': Its Shikai command is "Release your anger!". Kira holds the blade out in front of him when he uses this command. The ribbon-like sheath then wraps around the blade, completely hiding it from view. Once full wrapped around the blade, the ribbon expands outwards before breaking away, revealing a massive Buster sword two feet thick and several feet tall. :Shikai Special Ability: The power of Gyuukaku Oushiza is to release its anger in the form of pure spiritual energy. Once enough blood has been drawn in battle while Gyuukaku is in its released form, the blade will begin to glow with a crimson energy, letting Kira know that it is in a frenzy and waiting to be released. *'Jougen Chimidoro' 上弦の月 | Bloody Crescent Arc: Once Gyuukaku is ready, Kira holds the large blade at his side. With a powerful swing, Kira lets go of the blade, sending it spinning like a sawblade towards the opponent. With the blade able to hone in on the location of the opponent through blood, it makes the attack hard to dodge through normal means. The crimson energy and fast rotation of the blade transforms the spinning sword into a crimson arc of a blood coloring, hence the name. The blade returns to the hand of its wielder after the attack is complete. An advanced form of this is shown in Kira's Bankai form. *'Bankai': Not yet revealed to the public. Briefly shown in fight with high powered Arrancar to stop a Gran Rey Cero blast from destroying the area. Trivia *Kira is one of the tallest shinigami in Soul Society history. *His theme song is "Indestructible" by Disturbed. *His Zanpakutō is heavily melee based while his Bankai release is a variable release, very rare in Soul Society history. *In the most recent popularity poll, Kira was ranked 1st (he came in 2nd to Nagao Sumi in the last poll). *His Zanpakutō, Gyuukaku Oushiza, was 3rd in recent polling after a brief reveal of his Bankai, increasing 20 positions from 23rd. Quotes * (To Sumi Nagao) after tossing her over his shoulder "Looks like the little lady wants to go for a little dip!" * (To Ayanami) "You will always be the little brother, little brother. No matter how strong you get, I will always be stronger." * (To Yumeka) "Sometimes you need to get a little psycho in order to release all that pent up frustration. Just don't do it around me." * (To Opponents) during 11th division phase "Fight or die, the choice is up to you. Either way, here I come." * (To Natsuki of the 4th division) being admitted to the hospital "You better use the extra strength straps today or there will be another hole in that wall within minutes of me waking up." References Navigation Character Page 8th Division House LeSalle Category:Shinigami Category:Shinigami captains Category:Male Category:Character Page